This application claims the priority of 197 44 414.8, filed Oct. 8, 1997, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a motor vehicle climate control system with several operating modes which can be selected by a control unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,070 discloses a motor vehicle climate control system of this generic type which automatically selects an operating mode in accordance with several temperature and received light sensors, and sets the position of a temperature selection switch.
German patent document DE 196 19 643 C1 on the other hand discloses a motor vehicle with an automotive climate control apparatus which can be operated according to whether the vehicle is in an uncovered area of a highway system. A navigation system is provided for continuously determinating the precise position of the vehicle, so that particularly the topographic location of the vehicle in the environment is known, and the automotive climate control apparatus and additional functional units can be operated accordingly. For example, obstructions above roadways, such as tunnels, viaducts and other buildings are mentioned which might require changing the operation of the air conditioning and to which a reaction might be made via the proposed air conditioning control.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved motor vehicle climate control system of the kind referred to above, which is capable of providing atmospheric conditions that are comfortable.
This and other objects and advantages are provided by the motor vehicle control system according to the invention, in which a control unit automatically sets its operating mode in accordance with a region that can be preset for the vehicle or by the region in which the vehicle is situated. This facilitates an automatic adaptation of the operating mode of the motor vehicle climate control system to the region in which the vehicle is operating, and thus to a particular user group or climatic region. The control unit is thus capable of automatically selecting, from any desired number of possible operating modes, an operating regimen of the motor vehicle climate control system that is adapted to the region in which the motor vehicle is operating. As a result, the working parameters of the motor vehicle climate control system to be set by the user can be reduced. This improves the convenience of the climate control system and the overall comfort level that the apparatus can provide.
In a embodiment of the climate control system according to the invention, the control unit is configured such that it establishes specific preset temperature levels which directly or indirectly describe the desired climate for riders of the vehicle, and/or sets specific performance parameters for the motor vehicle climate control system. This setting is in turn implemented in accordance with a preselected or the current actual (real-time) region in which the motor vehicle is operating. As a result, a preselection is performed which makes it easier for the users of the motor vehicle to control the climate in the motor vehicle.
In another embodiment according to the invention, the climate control system automatically detects the momentary location of the vehicle, so that it can automatically identify the region in which the vehicle is eventually situated. This permits continuous adjustment of the working regimen of the motor vehicle climate control system as the vehicle changes location, which thereby assures that the right region-related regimen of operation is turned on.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.